Daredevil Season 3 vs. Marvel's Comics: How Does the Series Change Bullseye, Kingpin and Karen Page?

The third season of Marvel's Daredevil on Netflix draws plenty of inspiration from the comics in general and the storyline "Born Again" in particular. But as with so many things in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, that source material only serves as a loose starting point. The new season winds up making some significant changes to the comics, even as it pays direct homage to them.

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From Karen Page's past to Bullseye's origin to the fate of characters like Vanessa Fisk, here are the major ways in which Season 3 diverged from Marvel's comics. Check out our slideshow below or scroll down to learn more.

Daredevil: 9 Ways Season 3 Changed the Marvel Comics

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Here are nine key ways in which the new season of Marvel's Daredevil changed the comic book source material.

01 OF 10

Here are nine key ways in which the new season of Marvel's Daredevil changed the comic book source material.

Daredevil: 9 Ways Season 3 Changed the Marvel Comics

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Daredevil's Secret Identity

As in "Born Again," one of the key plot points in Season 3 involves Wilson Fisk discovering Daredevil's secret identity and using that knowledge to make Matt Murdock's life a living hell. In one case, the season even directly riffs on a moment from the comic (the scene where Matt narrowly escapes drowning in a taxicab).

However, the actual circumstances behind this identity leak are much different. In the comic, Karen Page is at fault. Spiraling down into drug abuse, she trades Matt's secret for a fix, and that information quickly works its way up the totem pole to Fisk. But in the Netflix series, Fisk simply figures out the truth on his own. It's not as if Matt has made it particularly difficult over the past three seasons.

Bullseye's Victim

The new season also draws from a 1998 Daredevil storyline called "Guardian Devil," which features one of the most famous Daredevil/Bullseye fights of all time. The fight between Daredevil and Dex in the church closely mirrors that sequence, albeit with one major change. In the comic, Bullseye murders Karen Page when she steps in front of a projectile meant for Daredevil. But in the Netflix series, it's Karen who's spared when Father Lantom shields her from Bullseye's attack and dies instead.

This is an unexpected twist to an iconic Daredevil moment, but one that makes sense. In the comic, Karen's sacrifice could be seen as her way of atoning for screwing up Matt's life in "Born Again." But as she's not to blame for that in the show, she doesn't need to make that sacrifice.

Maggie Murdock Revealed

In both "Born Again" and Season 3, Matt Murdock is reunited with his estranged mother even as he deals with Fisk's all-consuming assault on his life. But here again, the circumstances differ between each version. For one thing, the show establishes that Maggie was already a nun when she met Jack Murdock and briefly left the church, whereas in the comic, she didn't join the church until after giving birth and suffering through her postpartum depression.

Another big change involves the nature of how Matt discovers that Maggie is his mother. In the show, he finds out secondhand and has a major falling-out with both Maggie and Father Lantom as a result. But in the comic, he merely asks her directly. Though Maggie denies it at the time, Matt can sense her heartbeat and realizes the truth.

Kingpin's Assassin

While Wilson Fisk proved himself a formidable fighter in Season 1, he relies on FBI Agent Benjamin Poindexter (aka Bullseye) to do most of his dirty work in Season 3. Fisk has certainly relied on Bullseye many times in the comics, but in "Born Again" he actually makes use of an entirely different hired assassin.

"Born Again" introduces a character named Nuke, an offshoot of the same super-soldier program that created Captain America. Though strong and resilient, Nuke is also psychologically unstable and requires a system of trigger phrases and color-coded pills in order to be controlled. Kingpin manipulates Nuke to do his bidding in "Born Again" much in the same way he takes advantage of Bullseye's instability and needs for structure in Season 3.

Nuke may not have appeared in Daredevil Season 3, but he has been a major character in Jessica Jones, where he's known as Will Simpson.

Bullseye's Origin

Similar to the Joker, Bullseye is notable for being a comic book villain with no clear, consistent origin story. Even his real name is a mystery (though Daredevil claims to have uncovered the truth). That's a far cry from how the character is portrayed in the Netflix series. Here, we learn that his secret identity is Benjamin "Dex" Poindexter, and that he's an FBI agent by day. In fact, Dex is never actually referred to as Bullseye in the series, nor does he wear the traditional Bullseye costume.

Bullseye's mental state is also handled differently in the comics and Netflix series. In the former, while Bullseye is sometimes prone to psychosis, he only really goes off the deep end during a period where he suffers from a brain tumor. In the Netflix series, he's been battling severe psychological issues most of his life and desperately craves structure and an authoritative hand to guide him.

Bullseye's Injury

In both the comics and Netflix series, Bullseye's career as a costumed assassin is cut short after his back is broken. And in both versions, he's given a second chance after he turns to the gifted hands of Professor Oyama.

But this is another case where the details vary quite a bit. In the show, Bullseye is paralyzed by Fisk, who throws him against a brick wall during a three-way showdown. In the comics, he's paralyzed by Daredevil after being dropped from a telephone wire.

Foggy's Family

Season 3 introduces Foggy Nelson's parents and brother, establishing them as a blue-collar family who unfortunately falls victim to Fisk's manipulation. Foggy's family ties are much more complicated in the comics, however. At one point, Foggy and Matt form a legal partnership with a woman named Rosalind Sharpe. They eventually come to learn that Rosalind is actually Foggy's birth mother and that lawyering is in the Nelson family blood. Sadly, Sharpe proves how little love she harbors for her son when she fires him after he's accused of murder.

Vanessa Fisk's Fate

By the end of Season 3, Vanessa Fisk makes it abundantly clear that she's all-in on her new husband's criminal empire. She not only supports his quest to become the supreme ruler of New York's criminal underworld, she even orchestrates the murder of an FBI agent. That fact is eventually used as leverage when Matt forces Kingpin to turn himself in.

In the comics, though, Vanessa has a much more complicated relationship with her husband and his criminal empire. She only finds out about his illegal activities after marrying him, and for a time she convinces him to retire and live a legitimate lifestyle in Japan. Unfortunately, her apparent murder causes Fisk to resume his life of crime.

Vanessa actually survives that murder attempt, and in later stories proved that some of her husband's personality has rubbed off on her, as she uses the family fortune and resources to manipulate Matt Murdock's life for her own ends.

Kingpin's Legal Status

Wilson Fisk is an extremely ambitious man. You pretty much have to be if you're going to realize your dream of controlling all the criminal activity in New York. But Fisk is also a man whose reach exceeds his grasp, and he's eventually brought down by the end of Season 3. The season ends with Fisk right back where he was in the Season 1 finale - facing a lengthy prison sentence and public scorn.

Fisk doesn't suffer quite so resounding a defeat in "Born Again." He does overplay his hand in his attempts to destroy Matt Murdock, eventually causing the deaths of dozens of Hell's Kitchen residents when he unleashes the out-of-control Nuke. Fisk isn't arrested at the end of the story, but he does destroy his carefully constructed facade as a legitimate businessman.